Ribbed inner sole



Dec. 3, 1929. P. w. VALENTINE RIBBED INNER SOLE Filed Feb. 6, 1929 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PERCY W. VALENTINE, OF NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS BIBBED INNER SOLE Application filed February 6, 1929. Serial No. 337,817.

This invention relates to innersoles of the type used in making welt shoes, such soles having a rib on one face, extending in a line generally similar to the edge of the sole, for receiving the stitches of the inseam by which the upper and welt are secured to the innersole. More particularly it relates to thoseinnersoles of the type above indicated of which the rib is an originally separate strip of material attached to the body of the sole. My object has been to simplify and reduce, the cost of making such ribbed innersoles by e11- abling a rib having sufficient strength and stiffness to be made out of a single strip of textile fabric, without an additional or inserted reinforcing means; which rib, further, may be folded or laid down and left in that position during all stages in the handling and treatment of the innersole up to the inseaming step when it is sewed to the upper and welt. Another part of my object has been to provide a fabric rib with attaching flanges at both sides of the base of the rib, but without any raw or cut edge permitting the interwoven strands to ravel out on the attaching flange which is directed outward toward the edges of the innersole.

The invention consists in the novel features described in the following specification and shown in the drawing furnished herewith,

and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of an innersole embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on a larger scale taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a slight modification in the arrangement of the parts of the fabric strip which forms the 4o rib and its base flanges.

In the present invention the innersole, following a long accepted and widely used practice, is made of a body a of leather, leather board or any other suitable material, and a rib I; made of a folded strip of textile fabric laid in the desired outline on one face of the innersole body and fastened thereto by sewed seams. The novelty of the invention consists mainly in the characteristics of the rib.

In making the rib I take a strip of suitably strong and heavy textile fabric, preferably.

cotton duck of substantially the weight and texture ordinarily used for the ribs of inner soles of this general class. The strip is cut on the bias with sufficient width to provide the rib proper and base flanges hereinafter de-..;

scribed. It is bent double on the longitudinal fold 0, and the parts or plies d and e on each side of the fold are brought together forming a two-ply rib. The two plies of the material are bent on folds f andg oppositely to H one another and outwardly from the base portion of the rib; and the part which is thus bent outward on the fold g is doubled back on a fold it and brought under the part which is bent back on the fold 9. Thus the zones'ad- I jacent to the two edges of the strip are superposed one on the other and form a two-ply flange 70, while the part folded at it forms a two-ply lip Z. The edges of the plies forming the flange is may be in alignment with each J other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or, the margin of the upper ply of the flange is may overlap the edge of the lower ply as shown in Fig. 3. The rib with its flanges thus formed is laid on the surface of the innersole body following generally the outline thereof, with the flange Z directed outward toward the edgesof the body, and is attached by three stitched seams m, n and 0, one of which passes through the flange Z and the other two through the flange l0.

Preferably a Viscous fluid adhesive or size is applied to the strip immediately prior to folding, being applied to the surface which provides the inside surfaces, within the folds,

when the strip is folded as above described. Preferably the adhesive substance is so applied only to so much of the strip as provides the plies d and e of the rib proper for the purpose of stiflfening the rib proper and preventing separation from one another of the plies thereof. But it may be applied over the whole surface of the strip ifv desired to reinforce and stiffen also the attaching flanges. The sizing or adhesive material is preferably of such consistency that it penetrates only partially into the fibers of the component yarns of the fabric without wholly saturating the fabric. I The presence of the adhesive is indicated by lines of shading in and between the plies d and e.

The steps of coating and folding the fabric are performed in such close sequence that the coated plies are brought together before the coating material has dried or set. Any cement, glue or other adhesive or sizing composition which has the desired adhesive or stiffening qualities may be used for this purose. p Preferably also the further step of stitching the rib to the innersole body is carried out in continuation of the folding step; the strip passing directly from a progressively acting folder to the innersole body while the latter is being fed past the needles of a plural needle sewing machine, so that all the attaching seams are stitched at the same time.

While the sizing compound is still soft, the rib is preferably laid down away from the edges of the sole, as shown in the sectional views. This opens wide the angle between the rib and the flange of the sole, facilitating the application of cement in this angle when cement is used preparatory to pulling over the upper in lasting. The outer flange or lip is an advantage in this connection in that the stitches which pass through it, in being set tight, force the rib inward, placing it in the necessary position so that, when the sole has been molded, it may be easily raised by the pick up of the guide finger of the inseam stitching machine.

The inside flange, being double, gives additional strength to withstand the strain of sewing the inseam, hence preventing the rib from eing stretched outward during the inseaming operation which, if it were allowed to occur, would cause loss of the desired shape of the lasted shoe. Separate ribs which are attached by means of flanges of single thickness are liable to stretch and make the shoes defective. Furthermore, the mode of folding the rib enables the application of sizing substance, when used, to be placed only within the fold which forms the rib proper and enables those parts which are penetrated by the needles of the sewing machine to be entirely clear of size, thus avoiding smearing and gummin up of the needles with the sticky sizing su stance. The inclusion of this substance within the rib also protects the folder from being smeared and gummed up with the size.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An innersole comprising a sole body and an attached rib formed of a strip of textile fabric folded double longitudinally to make the rib proper, the plies folded by such fold bein then bent outward oppositely to one vimo er at the base of the rib proper, and one of said plies being doubled back and extended under the other ply.

rib formed of a folded strip of material having a longitudinal fold providing a rib proper, and a second longitudinal fold providing an attaching flange at the base of the rib proper, and the opposite edge portions of the strip being superposed one upon the other and providlng a base flange extending to the opposite side of the rib proper from the first named flange. 3. In an innersole a -separately attached rib formed of a folded strip of material having a longitudinal fold providing a rib proper, a second longitudinal fold providing an attaching flange at the base of the rib proper, and the opposite edge portions of the strip being superposed one upon the other and providing a base flange extending to the opposite side of the rib proper from the first named flange, and adhesive or sizing material within the fold forming the rib proper.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

PERCY W. VALENTINE. 

